Medical Services

Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation

What is Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation?

Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation is a supervised exercise program that involves education, nutritional counseling, stress management, smoking cessation and other lifestyle changes designed to prevent or reverse the progression of cardiac/pulmonary disease.

Goals of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation include establishing an individualized plan to help you regain strength, prevent your condition from worsening, reduce your risk of future heart or lung problems and improve your health and quality of life.

“I would definitely recommend this program. I would encourage anyone who has had heart or lung problems to use this service. This is the best thing I’ve done for myself.”

– Jodie Donati, PCRMC Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation patient

About Us

Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation) is a combination of supervised exercise and education. The program establishes an individualized program to recondition your heart and lungs to improve your functional capacity and quality of life.

PCRMC’s Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation team consists of highly trained and skilled professionals who work for you.

Is Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation covered by my insurance?

Most private insurance companies provide coverage for these Medicare-approved diagnoses and others, such as heart failure. However, this varies from carrier to carrier. PCRMC completes verification of patients’ coverage prior to them starting the program.

Who qualifies for Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Patients with the following cardiac conditions diagnosed within the last 12 months qualify:

Heart attack

Cardiac stent or angioplasty

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

Heart valve replacement

Congestive heart failure (CHF)

Stable angina-pectoris

Post heart transplant

What are the benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation?

The many benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation include:

Lower chance of having another cardiac event

Lower risk of a fatal heart attack

Faster recovery after bypass surgery

Decreased severity of chest pain and decreased need for medicines to control chest pain

Other conditions may include pulmonary hypertension and post lung transplant.

What are the benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation?

Reduced risks of future lung problems and related hospital admissions

Fewer symptoms, like being short of breath, coughing and wheezing

Improved ability to exercise

Improved health-related quality of life

Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation is divided into the following phases:

Phase I

Phase I starts while patients are in the hospital. Healthcare team members will give patients information on cardiac rehabilitation and ask questions about their health.

Phase II

Phase II is the initial outpatient phase of the program. Patients exercise in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department while a skilled medical team supervises their response to exercise. All patients in Phase II are monitored with telemetry for the duration of their individual program. Phase II is typically a 12-week program consisting of 36 sessions. Most sessions are 30-60 minutes, three days a week.

Phase III

Phase III begins upon completion of Phase II or when deemed medically appropriate. Patients may continue in the supervised Cardiac Rehabilitation program with less monitoring, or a home exercise program can be designed for them.